Textiles from around the world can bring color and pattern to your world traveler scheme. I’m absolutely smitten with textiles from India and the Middle East. During the Persian empire, India was conquered and the influence of the Persians can still be seen in Indian textiles. As with so many other things, it seems that India took what the Persian empire brought and made it their own. Indian textiles are some of the most vibrant and desirable to behold.

I’m having quite the love affair with the designs offered by Saffron Marigold. Their selection of prints for curtains, bedding, pillows, table cloths, and shower curtains will make you swoon!

Memories of Shalimar by Saffron Marigold

http://www.saffronmarigold.com
From their site: “Saffron Marigold’s range of hand block printed home furnishings are sourced from the desert state of Rajasthan, where entire villages derive their livelihood from the craft of hand block printing.”

In my home, I use two varieties of their curtains. In the living room, I have the Maharaja print, which they are currently in the process of discontinuing. I love the elephants, and the rich burgundy filters the room with a warm light.

In the bedroom, we have Ruby Kilim curtains. (Silby, my parents’ Springer Spaniel, approves of the curtains too! She loves looking out the window when she comes to stay with us.)

I’m thrilled that they also make shower curtains. In the bathroom, I have a Maharaja curtain. The richness of the fabric turned our tiny little bathroom into a luxurious space. Turkish bath towels come in an endless variety of colors and make the perfect match for Saffron Marigold’s shower curtains.

Don’t underestimate how much curtains can change the look of a space! There isn’t a day that I don’t find myself admiring the beauty of the curtains I’ve purchased from Saffrom Marigold. The tedious process that goes into hand printing each panel is awe-inspiring. Be sure to check out the photos showing how they are made: http://www.saffronmarigold.com/catalog/block_printing.php?blockIndex=1

Kantha Quilts are another favorite of mine. You can find them for sale in fair trade shops or buy directly from India on Etsy. Kantha quilts are handmade and are easily recognizable by their signature stitching. They tend to be made of a soft, lightweight cotton that layers nicely for year-round bedding.

This Camel Kantha Quilt stole my heart the instant I saw it. I dream adventurous dreams snuggled up under it every night. It looks great with my Ruby Kilim curtains and the gold bedding layered beneath it. There is truly something magical about handmade blankets.

Rugs are another essential element for a world traveler look. Persian and Oriental rugs are usually going to tip the scale when it comes to expense. Keep an eye out at garage sales and thrift stores, and you just might spot one that won’t put you in debt. Instead of trying to buy large expensive rugs, look for smaller throw rugs. A small, patterned Kilim rug can bring a lot of richness to a space. Older, worn wool rugs have great character and tell tales of other lives they’ve lived. Who knows — maybe they really did belong to a great world traveler once…

We use this beautiful wool rug from Afghanistan by our bathroom sink. It measures about 2×4 and was a steal for $25 online. These traditional Sullymen rugs are made by nomadic people living in the desert.

In our living room and bedroom live two persian rugs that were both discovered at my favorite thrift store, for less than $20 each. They were marked “Made in Iran” and had very little wear. Since they weren’t soiled, I only had to vacuum both sides thoroughly before bringing them into the apartment. (ALWAYS check for signs of moths or carpet beetles before bringing a wool rug inside! They will wreak havoc on your belongings.) It took two years to find them; but like any avid treasure hunter, I feel the wait was worth it.

Geography has always fascinated me. The dynamics of the world seem to be constantly in flux. Old maps reveal how much has changed in just the last 100 years. Countries have been formed, divided, liberated, and renamed. The Africa of the early 1900s was a continent divided between the western empires and claimed for foreign royalty. This was the era of adventures into darkest Africa. I love reading old Safari novels and imaging what it would have been like to witness such vastness of unblemished savanah and rainforest. Unfortunately, the world will never hold such mystery and romance again. But why not stir up those feelings of wonder with a vintage map or globe? Perfect for planning all those dreamy expeditions.

Photo by Simon Upton from the book “A Passion for Collecting”

Photo from Apartment Therapy

Globes can add a pleasant circular element to a typically square enviroment. I can hardly resist the urge to gently spin a globe, tracing imaginary flights across great expanses of oceans and land. Globes have been made in many appealing colors and sizes throughout the years. Grouping a variety of green, blue, tan, and black globes together makes for an eye-catching display.

With the ever-changing politcal geography, many people donate their old globes to thrift stores. But when they’re being used for decor and not education, we don’t mind if Rhodesia is still in Africa or not! If you find a globe in disrepair, you can turn it into an art piece by decoupaging animals, stamps, and luggage labels onto it. Above is a globe I created for my etsy store last year.

School pull-down maps are typically quite large and look striking in any room. (Hang one above your bed in place of a head board!) Newer, working pull-down maps can be utilized as window coverings for a quirky twist. Older canvas maps are rare and should be kept away from direct sunlight and hung safely on the wall.

Above is a large 1922 map of Africa that fills one wall of my apartment. The rich earth tones help to warm up my husband’s studio nook. The enormous size is hard to see in this photo, with the only reference being the full-size amp below it. Appropriately, Indian Jones and his bull whip hang nearby. I love the wear and tear on the map from all the years of students. On the top portion, there are tiny fingerprints from grade school students who used this in a New England schoolhouse 90 years ago.

I love the colors of the map above. Unfortunately, pull-down maps seem to be in vogue right now, so you’ll have to hunt around for a steal. Another option is to find a large map and hang it from two dowel rods, giving the same effect as a classroom map.

Whether you’ve actually circumnavigated the globe or were just born with the heart of an adventurer, the appeal of an adventurous life is unmistakable. Most of my personal heroes are the men and women who traveled the world in search of the unknown during the early 1900s. People like Osa and Martin Johnson absolutely fascinate me. I can’t get enough of Safari novels; I devour them like some people devour cheesy romance novels. But, in reality, a good jungle adventure is terribly romantic!

Fortunately, there’s no rule that you actually have to travel to exotic locales to find treasures with a foreign flair. Here are some creative ways to bring the world home without a passport!

Luggage is obviously a necessity for any journey long or short. Most people have “upgraded” to small carry-on luggage, making heavy older suitcases easy to come by! Around the house, luggage can serve as extra storage while bringing the theme of travel to any space. My husband likes to tease me about all the suitcases and trunks used in decorating our apartment. All of them are far too precious to be tossed around by airport security!

I wouldn’t mind waking up to this every morning! A bedside table made of various stacked suitcases. Suitcases can be found at thrift-stores, garage sales, and antique shops. Sets from the 50s-60s are easy to come by cheap.

Our trunk coffee table was completely transformed by the addition of wooden animal feet. The trunk cost around $8 at goodwill and the antique feet were $30 on Etsy. Not a bad price for a one-of-a kind piece! Feet can easily be attached to the bottom of any trunk to give it a little more height.

A variety of 60s suitcases I’ve picked up at thrift stores. Most ran about $5 each. They were scuffed up and some smelt a tad funky. A little Bon Ami did the trick to remove any black scuff marks, and a good wipe down and airing out got rid of the funk. One of the suitcases holds my husband’s magic tricks, so I mod podged vintage playing cards on the outside. You could just as easily print out vintage luggage labels and mod podge them all over a trunk.

Another couple of cases I picked up. These are used as an end table next to our couch. They are unusually chunky in their design so they are able to store a lot of stuff. I think I paid $15 for the pair at a thrift store.

My holy grail of suitcases. I saw this at the Goodwill and drug it halfway across the store, excitedly looking for my husband to show him my new treasure. Covered in real luggage labels and full of character; the sight of a trunk covered in hotel stickers will make any adventurer’s heart flutter! This suitcase lives in our living room and works as both storage and a display area.

Crates: Another great item for the world traveler’s home is the humble crate. Once used to transport anything from tea to fruit, these crates can be transformed for a multitude of practical purposes around your home. Do be aware that crates tend to be made of rough wood, so avoid using them in places where things can get snagged on them easily. The local antique store provided me with the perfect banana crate for a bathroom stand:

I simply sealed the crate with mod podge to protect it from moisture (Yep. I use this stuff like it’s going out of style!) and gave it spools for legs. It holds all of our towels as well as vintage baskets and tins filled with bathroom essentials.

Baskets are another inexpensive piece you can add to your room to give a foreign flair. They bring to mind images of snake charmers, native weavers, and busy Moroccan markets for me. Be aware that baskets are typically overpriced at craftstores and decorating stores. But at thrift stores, you can usually find an assortment to look through, all marked under $5.

I use a stack of vintage baskets on my desk to store away cords and computer stuff (…. and the occasional cobra…).

Stay tuned for more adventure! Up next… globes, classroom maps, rugs, and textiles.

Instead of pulling out your over-sized coffee mug in the morning, why not sip your morning brew from a fine china teacup? Thrift stores are overflowing with mismatched teacups and none are usually priced higher than a few dollars. If you take the time to sort through the mass of “#1 MOM” and 70s flower power teacups, you might find a real treasure. Check the bottoms of the cups; most china and porcelain cups will say what they are made of. You don’t need an entire set. In fact, a mismatched set can be quite charming.

Do remember- you are going to want to hand wash your new teacups! It’s also a good idea to rinse them out after coffee because they can stain easily, especially bone china. Other than that, they aren’t any more high maintenance. If you happen to break your teacup, it’s just an excuse to go hunting for a new one!

I found my favorite bone china teacups on a last minute thrifting excursion to the ARC. They were taped together with their original saucers, and I was immediately drawn to the caravan of Arab traders parading around the cups. There’s something magical about sipping coffee or chai from them every morning.

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